The Willow
by MissCHSparkles
Summary: Set in Dumbledore's office after the Willow incident, the headmaster talks to all three boys involved, James Potter, Sirius Black and Severus Snape. As he tries to figure out each individual boy's reasoning, can he help them realise the consequences their actions could have and will have? Read on to find out.


_Author's note. There are quite a few stories out there focusing on the Willow Incident and they usually focus on one characters point of view. I wanted to have a go at a more general one where the focus isn't on a single person. It should be noted this contains 'good' Dumbledore, I as a rule prefer him to being wise and caring rather than cruel and manipulative. So, if people prefer the latter to the former, you might not like this story, I'm just having a go at something a bit different. _

_Since this is at the start of fifth year, I think Severus is a lot more 'the boy Lily knows and calls her best friend' than 'really starting to get into dark arts and death eaters' Severus. I think he went through a change during fifth year, because there does seem to be a difference between his memories of discussing the willow incident with Lily to the Owl incident. So he might not be quite as cold and snarky as people would like because I think in this point in time, he was a lot...hmm, not innocent or warm but maybe...softer? He definitely wasn't as jaded I believe. I hope that makes sense anyway._

_Enjoy and please review._

Professor Albus Dumbledore sternly surveyed the three boys who were mulishly sitting in front of him. As he looked at them through his half moon spectacles, he noted how their faces were fast losing the boyish features they'd first arrived at Hogwarts with and instead were developing more defined adult faces. The same was happening with their bodies, they were growing in that remarkable way that boys did in a ridiculously short amount of time. This made one of them in particular seem even skinnier than ever and Dumbledore briefly wondered if he was eating properly.

But that was something to discuss another time.

"You three boys know why you are here, I believe?"

They certainly did and all three looked like they wanted to burst into explanations but somehow, managed to control themselves. Maybe it was because the situation was so unbelievably serious and they had a hard time comprehending just how it had happened. Or perhaps it was because their headmaster was looking at them with such disappointment, they couldn't bear to focus that disappointment on themselves.

Dumbledore sighed heavily before saying.

"Tonight, you three were involved in an incident whose consequences I don't think you quite understand."

That was too much for the skinny boy in Slytherin colours who burst out angrily.

"I understand them perfectly; the consequences are that _I _could have been killed."

"No you wouldn't," barked the tallest and most board shouldered boy. "You were never in danger..."

"Don't be an idiot Sirius," snapped the third and last boy.

Dumbledore sighed as he asked the scowling Black heir.

"Mr Black, do you really not appreciate the seriousness of your actions?"

"It was just a prank," the boy muttered mulishly as Severus gave him a hateful glare and James looked like he wanted to groan.

"A prank?" Dumbledore repeated, keeping his voice calm but nonetheless, giving Sirius a penetrating glare. "A prank which could have resulted in Mr Snape either being bitten or killed?"

"Moony wouldn't have hurt him," Sirius said stubbornly and Dumbledore wondered if he really meant that or was just trying to avoid responsibility for what happened.

He dearly hoped it was the latter because otherwise, he'd worry for the young Gryffindor.

"Don't be thick, Padfoot," James exclaimed in exasperation. "Moony has no control over himself when he's in his wolf form, how many times has he told us?"

"Maybe Black's implying that _Moony _does have his mind," Severus sneered with a bitter undertone. "And knew exactly what he was doing..."

"Moony would never knowingly bite anyone," James almost yelled, giving Severus an extremely hateful look. "Even slimy Slytherins like you..."

"Mr Potter," Dumbledore said very reproachfully as Sirius chose that moment to snigger.

"He probably couldn't bite through all the grease..."

"Mr Black," Dumbledore intoned a sharp bite in his words. "You're already in a lot of trouble, I'd advise you not to make it worse."

Sirius flushed and stared at the floor.

"How could he make it worse?" Severus questioned eagerly. "You're expelling him, aren't you sir?"

"Normally, that would certainly be the appropriate punishment," Dumbledore said gravely. "However..."

"However?" Severus shrieked, leaping to his feet and pointing an accusing finger at Dumbledore. "However he's one of your precious golden Gryffindors so naturally, you're just going to give him a slap on the wrist and punish _me."_

"It has nothing to do with his or your House," Dumbledore stated calmly as Severus looked even more furious. "It has everything to do with the fact that if I expel Mr Black, then Mr Lupin will undoubtedly be driven from the school."

As James looked grim and Sirius shocked, Severus sneered.

"And why shouldn't you expel him? He was probably in on the _prank;_ he's certainly stupid and spineless enough to do anything these two tell him..."

"Remus wasn't in on it," James said hotly, jumping to his feet to glare at his fellow yearmate. "He'll be devastated when he finds out what Sirius did."

"Funny, he's never been very devastated before," sneered Severus, folding his arms as Sirius started to flush at the realisation of what he'd done.

Before James could start hotly defending the absent werewolf, Dumbledore said.

"I would like Mr Snape to explain how he came to be at the willow...with no interruptions."

Shooting the other two a sneer, Severus launched into the tale.

"I was coming back from Charms when he..."

He pointed at Sirius who scowled.

"Tripped and hexed me. I asked him why the other moronic Marauders weren't joining in and he said that idiot Pettigrew had been kept after class and Potter had gone ahead for Quidditch practise and the _wolf..._

Severus said this with a lot of relish but Dumbledore didn't comment. James and Sirius looked like they wanted to but Dumbledore's hard stare kept them quiet.

"...was ill _again._ I told him I didn't believe him, that there was something funny about his _friend _and that it had something to do with that willow."

Severus's voice dropped low as he came to the conclusion of his tale.

"I've seen them sir, hanging around that tree after hours, always up to no good. I told Black I was going to expose them for the attention seeking idiots they were. But he told me I'd never be able to get inside the willow; I was too stupid to work out how."

As Sirius scoffed under his breath, Severus continued eagerly.

"I told him that I would work out what their precious little secret was and that he couldn't stop me. So he told me if I really wanted to get inside the willow, all I needed to do was press a little gnarled knot at the base of the tree and that would freeze it. I could easily get in then and find out why that wolf disappears all the time. Of course, I thought he was lying through his teeth but I decided to check it out anyway.

With great satisfaction, Severus sat back, folding his arms as the other two boys glared at him with great dislike. Dumbledore regarded him for a little, fingers pressed together.

"I'm confused, Mr Snape," Dumbledore finally said slowly.

"What are you confused about...sir?" Severus asked, barely keeping a sneer in check.

"Well," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "You've just admitted that you are not friends with Mr Black, in fact, the two of you have shared the same animosity since you met. You are both regularly involved in incidents with each other and you have stated that you don't trust Mr Black in the slightest."

"I don't," Severus replied firmly and with a hint of defiance.

"Then please explain to me...why you listened to him when he told you how to get into that willow?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

Severus opened his mouth, ready to retort before suddenly closing it again. A frown was marring his brow as he suddenly realised just what his headmaster was asking. As the silence stretched, a blush appeared in his sallow cheeks and his shoulders slumped slightly.

Always ready to defend his friend, James piped up.

"He wanted to get Remus into trouble, that's why sir?"

"Is this true, Mr Snape?" Dumbledore questioned.

Severus scowled before saying.

"I knew they were up to no good and I was proved right. They've been consorting with a dangerous monster, a werewolf sir."

"Remus is not a dangerous monster," James said furiously. "He's just...got a little furry problem."

"Little?" Severus repeated incredulously. "He is a vicious, uncontrollable dark creature...which makes me wonder why _you_ would hang out with him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" growled James dangerously.

"Merely that you've made it clear what you think of those who are different," Severus replied with bitter venom. "Anyone who's not a rich, Pureblooded Gryffindor is little more than scum in your eyes."

"That's not true," James shouted furiously as both he and Sirius leapt to their feet, ready to draw their wands on their fellow classmate.

"Oh really?" Severus sneered with a sarcastic laugh. "So, if your precious wolf had been in Slytherin, of course you'd still have been friends with him."

"Remus would never have been in Slytherin," Sirius practically roared, colour flooding into his face. "Nothing ever good ever comes from that Snake House...which is why Remus didn't go there."

Severus laughed derisively.

"So you don't deny it?" he said with relish as he eyed the two angry boys. "You would have hunted him from the school yourselves..."

"That's not**_ true_**," James shouted furiously as Severus got one more shot in.

"I'm sure Regulas will be happy to hear what you really think of him, Black."

"Enough," Dumbledore said sharply as Sirius blanched on the spot. "That is quite enough from all of you."

Severus sat back in his seat, satisfaction written all over his face as the other boys scowled. Dumbledore mentally shook his head; he could see how the boys didn't get along. Not only did they deeply offend each other on some level but they readily sparred with each other, with one side always winning. Thus the other side would be left fuming, bitter and ready to reengage and win the next round.

"Mr Snape," Dumbledore said quietly. "Did you go to the willow with the intention of exposing whatever Remus was up to and then informing the whole school?"

Raising his chin, Severus replied frostily.

"Was I wrong to, sir? They've been messing around with a werewolf and for all we know, letting him loose. Whatever he is as a human, it cannot be denied that he is a vicious monster in wolf form."

"I sincerely hope Mr Black and Mr Potter have not been foolish enough to interact with Remus while he's in his wolf form," Dumbledore said lightly and the boys were quick to deny this. But there was something in their movements that indicated this was not the entire truth and Dumbledore knew he'd have to talk to them about this.

"Mr Snape, while your intentions may have been noble...," Dumbledore began as Sirius snorted. "Surely you realise that Mr Lupin has not kept this a secret from the staff and that if he is here, it is because he's meant to be here."

"He's a monster," Severus retorted as Dumbledore shook his head.

"For a single night each month, Mr Lupin does indeed become a monster but this is something he has no control over," Dumbledore said firmly. "There is no reason why he can't study like everyone else regardless of the fact he is often ill as a result of his condition."

"But what if he gets out?" Severus stated earnestly. "With those two...three if you count Pettigrew messing around the willow, something's bound to happen."

"On that point, you are correct to be concerned and I shall take steps to ensure no one can enter the willow until the moon has safely waned," Dumbledore stated as the two Gryffindors scowled.

"However, as I said before, when Mr Lupin is not in his werewolf form, there is no reason at all that he cannot study here at Hogwarts. And sadly, this is his one chance of receiving a full education with qualifications."

As Severus looked disbelieving, Dumbledore explained.

"Mr Lupin was extremely lucky just to get into Hogwarts; it was not an easy process. This is his one and only chance, if he is expelled then no other school will accept him. And it will make acquiring a job ten times as hard and isolate him from his peers. Most werewolves only have regular contact with their own kind, making it even more difficult for them to interact normally with Muggles and wizards alike."

Severus's expression didn't soften and Dumbledore knew it was because of the boy's dislike for the unfortunate werewolf. It was certainly something he had in common with James and Sirius; they were fiercely loyal to their friends and could hold extraordinary grudges against those they disliked. What a shame they had taken such an aversion to each other; they could have potentially been the best of friends.

"And this brings us back to why I cannot expel Mr Black," the old headmaster said softly, indicating the slouching boy. "I do not believe that Mr Lupin had anything to do with this prank and does not deserve being made an outcast...before he finishes school."

The sad truth was that even if someway was found to keep werewolves safe during the transformation, prejudice would remain. Even if he graduated with honours and top marks, the chances of Remus getting a decent job were slim at best. However, that was no reason he shouldn't try and completing his education at Hogwarts was his best chance at life. His parents could not afford to send him to another school even if another would accept him.

"What do you mean, sir?" James questioned rather naively and Severus sneered as Sirius grimaced.

"Our world will likely always look harshly and unfairly on Remus," Dumbledore told him gently. "Life will always be difficult for him, even if he gets a settled job, he may never be able to have a family of his own."

"But why?" James exclaimed as Severus burst out.

"Don't you listen in class, Potter? No werewolf has successfully had a live child that wasn't infected and even that has been extremely rare. No female wolf can carry a baby safely and a male can potentially infect any partners he has."

As James gaped, Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"That is regretfully correct. If Mr Lupin does find someone to love, they will not be able to have a child and adoption is almost impossible."

Beloved, pampered James seemed barely to comprehend this but Sirius and Severus readily accepted Dumbledore's words. Both of them already knew all about it, having undoubtedly learned it the hard way. Sirius came from an old Pureblood House which was known for its Dark practises and outspokenness and he was the _Black_ sheep of the family. Many students had judged him for his _Name_ while others judged him for the Hogwarts House he had ended up in. Severus was meanwhile distrusted for the House he resided in and also because of his unapproachable personality, unbelievable knowledge of the Dark Arts and...ahem, personal hygiene.

"But...but Moony will be alright after school?" James said in almost a whine. "He's a real bookworm and a great pal; surely he can get a job okay? And a lot of the girls think he's cute."

"He's also a werewolf," Severus sneered.

As James glared at him, Dumbledore stated gravely.

"Mr Snape is right and ultimately, it will always come down to that single fact. His employers will always judge him on that before they even bother to look at his school record. As for girls, crushes are all very well Mr Potter but how many will want to spend their lives with a werewolf? Never to have their own children and living with a man who could easily tear himself or others to shreds."

Dumbledore hated saying those words but James needed to understand just how serious the situation was for his friend. And Remus already knew that his future wasn't a bright one but he had accepted it. All he cared about was enjoying his school years and more importantly, completing them. As long as he had his friends, he was content with the life fate had bestowed upon him, no matter how hard that might be at times.

"That's...that's awful," James whispered as though he'd only just realised being a werewolf was no walk in the park.

Severus sniggered coldly.

"Only just realised that, Potter? Typical, I wonder if your pet wolf knows you care so little about him?"

"I care more about Remus than you've cared about anyone in your entire life," James roared, getting ready to punch the slighter boy but Dumbledore's magic prevented him from doing so.

"Mr Potter," Dumbledore chided severely. "I would not throw out insults like that, especially when you have no hope of backing them up."

Both James and surprisingly Severus flushed at this.

"While I wouldn't agree with Mr Snape's words, I do believe Mr Potter, you should take Mr Lupin's situation and feelings into account a little more often," Dumbledore now reprimanded gently. He knew James's heart was in the right place but he was just a bit too arrogant at times. Especially when it came to two members of his gang of friends and he couldn't continue with that attitude.

"I...I will," James mumbled, suitably chastised.

Dumbledore now turned his attention to Sirius who'd been sitting there, still scowling.

"I think you would do well to remember that as well, Mr Black," the elderly man said softly. "Did you consider how Mr Lupin would feel when he learned of your _prank?"_

Sirius muttered something under his breath as he avoided anyone's gaze. James shook his head, looking like he wanted to groan while Severus smirked. Dumbledore sighed, it was clear Sirius hadn't thought about Remus at all, He'd probably been looking forward to sharing the joke with his best friend James and perhaps a distant part of his mind, believed Remus would see the funny side of things.

"Mr Black," Dumbledore said softly. "Have you any idea how devastated Remus would have been if Mr Snape had been hurt. Frankly, he will likely be devastated anyway in how you callously used him as a weapon."

"I...I didn't," Sirius protested, his face becoming devoid of colour. "It was just a laugh, no one was meant to get hurt."

"Idiot," Severus sneered viscously.

"I have no doubt that you will have severely damaged if not broken Remus's trust in you," Dumbledore now informed Sirius gravely. "But his is not the only trust you've broken."

Sirius shot James a regretful look as the boy looked away, clearly, James did feel betrayed.

"I'm not talking about Mr Potter," Dumbledore said mildly. "I'm talking about Mr Snape's trust."

The hurt, guilty and sneering expressions on all three boy's faces dropped like stones as they gaped openly at their headmaster. In another situation, Dumbledore might have chuckled at how comically they were gawking. He kept his face serious as he said.

"I take it none of you boys understand what I mean?"

James somehow managed to recover and say.

"Sir, what do you mean by Snape's trust? He doesn't trust Sirius in the slightest."

Both Severus and Sirius nodded solemnly, in complete agreement for once. Dumbledore smiled sadly as he said.

"On the surface he certainly does not but deep down he did."

The boys looked even more confused and Dumbledore knew he had to explain. Taking a deep breath, he said.

"It can be debated what Mr Snape's actual intentions were when he went into the willow," Dumbledore said softly. "But it is clear he did not believe himself to be in danger and this is where you have done the most damage Mr Black. Because no matter how much Mr Snape dislikes you and wouldn't trust you in general, he still _trusted_ that you would not deliberately maim or kill him."

As the boys stared, wide eyed, Dumbledore added.

"You have destroyed a basic human trust Mr Black and the chances of repairing it are sadly small."

Sirius opened and then closed his mouth. He seemed to be having great trouble processing what his headmaster had just said. James was frowning as he tried to process this and Severus just had a scowl, clearly disagreeing with the fact deep down, he had trusted Sirius. But it was true, a part of Severus had never even considered the possibility that he could get hurt although he would likely latch onto this fact like a limpet.

"Mr Black," Dumbledore continued. "Your actions tonight were thoughtless and worryingly callous. It does not appear to bother you that Mr Snape could have been potentially infected or even killed."

"I never thought he would be," Sirius protested hotly as Severus sneered in contempt while James gave his friend a look of disbelief. "I just thought he'd hear Moony, piss his pants and run for it."

"Even if there was no danger of Mr Snape being harmed, that was still incredibly heartlessly cruel," Dumbledore scolded him, making the young man flush. "That you would take pleasure in exposing a fellow student, nay; a fellow person to a bloodthirsty creature so that you could laugh at their terror does not say much about you I'm afraid."

As Sirius blushed even more furiously, Dumbledore added.

"If Mr Snape had gone screaming back to school, what if he had managed to convince other students that there really was a monster there? They might have followed him and seen for themselves that there _was_ something within the willow. What do you think would have happened?"

Sirius tried to speak but couldn't find the words. Dumbledore answered for him.

"I shall tell you what would have happened. Students would have written to their parents, telling them about the monster, said parents would have demanded an explanation, the Ministry would have investigated and Remus would have been exposed as a werewolf."

Severus made a sound indicating he thought this should happen anyway but Dumbledore ignored him. All his attention was on the boy in front of him, this point needed to be hammered home.

"Even if none of the students had been in danger, many families would have called for Remus's imprisonment and possible execution..."

The blood drained once more from Siriru's face, followed by James and interestingly, Severus did look a little...taken aback by this pronouncement.

"Remus would have been shamed in front of everyone, even if he escaped those two fates," Dumbledore continued seriously. "He'd have been expelled; his wand snapped and forced to permanently rely on either his parents or the Muggle welfare system. Perhaps he'd be able to get an education in the Muggle world but he'd be forever barred from the wizarding world, banished for your selfish actions."

"I...," Sirius stammered but Dumbledore wasn't quite finished.

"It is also likely he never would have trusted a single soul again and become like virtually all other werewolves, hating society with its _normal _people and forever shun them. Do you think this is a fair fate to an innocent boy simply because you wanted to play a nasty trick on someone you don't like?"

"N-no," croaked Sirius, slumping in his chair, his face white and his body trembling. He hadn't thought of any of that.

"I didn't think so," Dumbledore said softly before turning to the other two. "If the two of you could wait over there, I need to speak with Mr Black in private."

James nodded as Severus looked extremely disappointed, he obviously wanted to see his headmaster tear into his hated rival some more. However, Dumbledore needed to have a serious talk with all three boys but separately, so that each boy could talk more openly. And since Sirius had started all of this, he needed to speak with him first.

"Mr Black," Dumbledore began. "When you first came to Hogwarts, many people believed you would follow the same set path as many other Blacks have."

Sirius scoffed, yeah, he could well believe that.

"However," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "You shocked and surprised everyone by going to Gryffindor and setting yourself almost completely apart from the majority of your relatives. You happily mingle and interact with those who are not Pureblood, even to the point of standing up for Muggleborn rights."

"I'm nothing like my family," Sirius declared fiercely, he had a tiny bit more colour in his cheeks now. "They're all a bunch of dark arts loving, Muggle hating scum."

"I wouldn't brand all of them with that brush," Dumbledore said lightly. "Your cousin Andromeda has married a Muggleborn after all."

This made Sirius shrug awkwardly as his headmaster added.

"Remarkable considerably _she_ was in Slytherin."

Sirius mumbled under his breath, it appeared he was trying to forget that little fact.

"Mr Black, you must realise that not all Slytherins are inherently evil," Dumbledore told him gently. "Yes, your family comes from Slytherin and most of them are unpleasant to downright evil but that does not mean Slytherin House is necessary evil."

"But it is," Sirius protested. "You should see them, they're always going on about how Purebloods are better and that we should join Voldemort and stuff. And everyone knows that Salazar Slytherin was an evil old git that only wanted Purebloods in Hogwarts."

"While it is true that Slytherin preferred those of Pureblood," Dumbledore acknowledged. "It was a very different time a thousand years ago; there was a very real threat from certain Muggles...like Witch Hunters."

Sirius frowned as Dumbledore continued.

"Slytherin's political stance may have been questionable but he did help found this school and a noble House for which we should be grateful."

Just as Sirius was about to protest, Dumbledore added.

"Did you know Gryffindor and Slytherin were once best friends? I believe Slytherin himself must have had some worthy qualities for such a close friendship to have developed."

"That's impossible," the young Gryffindor grumbled, folding his arms with a rather stubborn expression. "Gryffindor would never be friends with a slimy snake."

"Believe what you will Mr Black but they were once," Dumbledore said mildly, not wanting to focus on this point. "But as I was saying, you are very different from the other Blacks and for the most part, I've been proud at how you've flourished."

Sirius did manage a small smile at this, he was very proud with how different he was to the other Blacks. Dumbledore also smiled slightly, saying.

"You might land yourself in detention a lot but you are a talented student who achieves high marks and I feel certain that you will gain a lot of Owls. With the proper amount of study of course but your teachers will certainly be encouraging that. You're a credit to the Gryffindor Quidditch team and will continue to achieve great things even after school."

He paused before saying.

"I try to keep up-to-date with things happening in the Muggle world; I read the Muggle news and various other articles. Their society is quite different to ours in several ways, they have something called psychology."

Sirius wrinkled his nose; he wasn't sure what Dumbledore was going on about. So the elder old man hastened to explain.

"It's a little bit complicated to explain but essentially, while you have broken free of your family's control, it has still greatly affected you."

"How?" Sirius questioned, he really didn't understand that.

"Do you recall Mr Snape's assertions that you look down upon him because of his blood and social status," Dumbledore reminded him causing the boy to exclaim.

"It's nothing to do with that, it's because he's a slimy git who's up to his greasy head in the Dark Arts."

"Hmm, but does it not make it easier to confront him knowing he's less likely to be backed up by his fellow Housemates?" Dumbledore couldn't help but probe.

"No," Sirius said hotly. "And we don't confront him, he always starts it."

"Is it true that earlier today, you tripped and hexed him?"

"He was asking for it," Sirius growled mulishly.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, Sirius was determined to place all blame on someone else. Not that it all belonged to him but some most certainly did.

"In what way was he _asking_ for it?" he asked patiently.

"He just _is,_" Sirius emphasized. "Always sneaking around, poking his big greasy nose into other people's business."

"So, you hexed him because he exists?" Dumbledore said mildly to which Sirius went.

_"Yes!"_

There was silence as Sirius seemed to realise what he'd just said. However, he looked torn, he clearly believed he was right but somehow knew that didn't make him look very good.

"There is no real reason why Voldemort hates Muggles and Muggleborns," Dumbledore commented on. "For him, their existence is enough for him to enslave, torture and murder them."

"But I'm not like that!" Sirius almost moaned. "Haven't you ever had someone who was just so awful, creepy, slimy, annoying and just a stupid git that all you wanted to do was hex them?"

"Personally, no," Dumbledore chuckled. "There are plenty of characters out there that require a great deal of tolerance but there is the key thing Mr Black, _tolerance."_

"I don't know what you mean," Sirius said, suddenly flexing his hands as though he wanted to grip something.

"Mr Snape is quite different from you Mr Black and this means you have clashed an awful lot. You have such different values and ways of looking at the world that you could be considered night and day."

Before Sirius could scoff, Dumbledore said.

"But you know Mr Black; day is merely night with the sun shining while night is day covered in darkness. You believe Mr Snape to be little more than a Death Eater in training and yet he is a hard working, talented student who has a Muggleborn Gryffindor as his best friend. From previous incidents, Mr Snape has told me he firmly believes you to be little more than a spoiled, rich 'pretty boy' who constantly tries to gain attention."

"Screw him," Sirius sneered, sending a hateful glare over at Severus who returned it with interested.

"Mr Black, you must admit that you constantly pull pranks and cause trouble which always garners you a lot of notice and you do appear to enjoy it an awful lot."

"We're just having fun, trying to make people laugh," Sirius argued. "It's just Snivelous who can't take a joke."

"I would not use that name in front of me, Mr Black," Dumbledore said sternly causing Sirius to mumble 'sorry'.

"Not everyone shares your humour Mr Black but that does not automatically make them devoid of a sense of humour. You may find your tricks extremely hilarious but I do not think you'd enjoy them quite so much if they were played on you."

"Yes I would," Sirius said automatically. "I'd laugh it off."

"And plot your revenge," Dumbledore said mildly before saying. "Do you recall last Christams? When you charmed Mr Snape's nose bright red and made him grow antlers?"

Sirius grinned, that had been funny.

"Mr Snape did not find that funny at all...and when he retaliated by pouring itching powder down your robes during dinner...I do not recall you laughing very much."

Sirius's face darkened as he recalled that event, he had not found that funny at all. He'd practically howled down the Great Hall in rage as he'd tried to rip his clothes off.

"You complained most insistently to your head of house, demanding that Mr Snape be fully and swiftly punished," Dumbledore now said lightly. "While Mr Snape insisted it was just a _harmless joke."_

Sirius's fists were clenched but he didn't seem capable of summoning up a good argument. Dumbledore now tried a different tact.

"Do you believe you're better than Mr Snape?"

"Of course I am," was the instant response.

"Just like your family believes it's self to be _better_ than everyone else?"

"NO!" Sirius almost screamed, leaping to his feet as James and Severus looked a little shocked; they had no idea why he'd just done that. "I'M NOTHING LIKE THEM!"

"I know you're not," Dumbledore assured him. "But you've been affected by them Sirius, you're haunted by them. No matter what, they are the people who have raised you without outside influence for eleven years."

Sirius slumped forward, mumbling desperately.

"I'm not like them."

"You are not," Dumbledore agreed again. "But do you understand what I'm saying? Is the fact that Mr Snape is, according to you, a slimy, greasy, no good git a real reason to hate him? To play a potentially fatal _prank_ on him?"

"No sir," Sirius said before saying earnestly. "I just...I just can't stand him, none of us can."

"Then the best thing all of you can do is to ignore each other," Dumbledore stated. "Do not say snide comments or hex them when you know they will retaliate. I'm going to say this to Mr Snape as well but I want you to understand Sirius, that just because you dislike each other, that does not give you a reason to go after one another."

"He's always hexing and sneering at us," Sirius pointed out and Dumbledore sighed.

"As I said, I will be explaining to Mr Snape while he shouldn't but you do realise it might be a defensive tactic of his? Especially as there are several of you, he may be trying to get you before you get him?"

Just as Sirius was about to say something, Dumbledore added.

"Can you honestly say that you have never had a go at him when he has done nothing to provoke you? Baring existing that is?"

Sirius opened his mouth and then closed it, flushing slightly.

"I thought not," Dumbledore said. "You all wind each other up, you have your reasons for disliking Mr Snape and he has his. But I have one last important thing to ask you before I speak to him."

"What's that sir?" Sirius said, a little nervous as Dumbledore was looking extremely nervous now.

"Take a good look at Mr Snape Sirius," Dumbledore commanded and as Sirius did so, said. "Can you tell me honestly what was going through your head when you told Mr Snape how to get into that willow? What did you honestly think would happen?"

"I...uh," Sirius stammered, Severus was glaring at the window, not paying attention to them as James had his eyes closed and was leaning back against his chair.

"I thought...I thought it would serve him right, always poking around, trying to find out about Remus...I thought it would serve him right if the living daylights were scared out of him. I didn't think about him getting hurt, o-or killed, I thought he'd just run away and maybe wet himself."

Flushing madly, he mumbled.

"Remus always goes on about how he would never bite anyone; that he'll never go looking for a victim. How grateful he is no one can get in..."

At this realisation, Sirius groaned a long mournful groan that reminded Dumbledore of a dog and hid his face in his hands. He appeared to have finally understood what he'd done.

"That's enough for now," Dumbledore said gently. "I want you to go to that corner and think on the night's events, you won't be allowed to talk to Mr Potter until I've spoken to all three of you."

Sirius nodded and obeyed, moving to a part of the room furthest away from his friend as Dumbledore cancelled the spell.

"Sirius?" James said, hearing the movement and opening his eyes.

"Mr Black is contemplating his actions and cannot speak to you yet," Dumbledore said, adding. "Mr Snape, it's your turn for a little chat. Mr Potter, I will speak with you shortly."

"Alright," James said, slumping in his seat again as Severus stood up sullenly.

"Have a seat Mr Snape," Dumbledore said pleasantly, once again casting the spell so that no one would be able to hear their conversation. "We have much to discuss.

_Author's note. In the next chapter Dumbledore speaks to Severus. Until next time._


End file.
